PAKISTAN

The Aftermath

Musharraf's resignation puts pressure on a weak coalition

By Fasih Ahmed and Ron Moreau | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Aug 18, 2008 | Updated: 12:01 p.m. ET Aug 18, 2008

« Return to Article

Discuss

Posted By: Sultan Ahmed @ 08/25/2008 10:26:32 AM

Comment: Coalition,
at stak,fragile also,
staggering like a dried leaf,
expected breaking from the stem.
very hard to save it,
because leaders of that has different path,
different political destination.

Reinstatement of the judges,
fired by Musharraf looks imposible ,
to the great extent,
and if the present situation remained,
unbridgeable distance may be created ,
between coalition partners,
which is not favourable to the land.

There are many issues,
there are many problems,
awaiting to solve,
such as economy of the country,
but promise is promise,
that is written,must be fullfiled.

There are experienced lawyers,
unique lawmakers and experts,
have ability to making a acceptable way,
to restore apex court,s judges.

In case,
they failed to deal abovementioned issue,
the world would say,
Pakistan is in the hands of those,
who know nothing about the politics,
except plundering the state,s wealth.
Posted By: sb0614 @ 08/22/2008 3:37:42 PM

Comment: It is interesting to note that many if not all problems of Pakistan are conveniently blamed on the US (member comments by nawawimohamad). Nevermind that the jihadi-infrastructure was laid down soon after 1947 to wrestle Kashmir out its' neighbor's hand. Nevermind that the Military-Mullah partnership fought a constant "unofficial" war all these years and promoted madarssas to supply a constant stream of fundamentalist jihadis. Nevermind that the people of Pakistan got impregnated by the Military-Mullah propaganda over the years and they actually welcomed the military in a show of Islam backed power. Clearly, for years India was the big bad wolf who could only be defeated by God and Gun. Nevermind that in this environment it was easy for the ISI to create a pure Islam-based fanatic warrior unit aka the Taliban. All this was done, as far as Pakistan was concerned, was to fight its' neighbor and, eventually, take over Kashmir. Remember the infrastructure, the environment, the propaganda, the islam biased history books and the constant Islamization of the population started soon after 1947. This and only this is responsible for the root cause of Pakistan becoming the cradle of terrorism today.

The US only took advantage of this infrastructure when it decided to fight the Soviets. Musharraf came to power in 1999 - the US put down an ultimatum soon after 9/11. Musharraf had little choice but, to support (albeit half-heartedly) the US in its' war on terror. If Musharraf had declined, the US together with India would have annihlated the terrorist infrastructure once and for all.
Posted By: Azfar @ 08/22/2008 7:34:56 AM

Comment: Pervez Musharraf was a chrismatic and the most succesful Pakistani leader of Pakistan.

Yes, I fully agreed that he made some major mistakes but when you critically observed (with neutral and open mind) his performance than you will be able to know that what happened in Pakistan in last nine years.

I remember that in 1999 our corporate sector was worried that we dont have work and orders. In last 6 to 7 years the biggest issue of any corporate is that how to engage employees for the maximum results. Today in Pakistan the biggest issue of any HR Department is to attract and retain the talent.

If you critically observe the development of cities and villages than you will be able to know that in last 7 to 8 years the massive projects were executed in shape of roads, highways, bridges, underpasses, parks and other places for cultural activities and sports.

We always think negatively and this is the biggest problem of Pakistan.

Apart from above I will recommend Pervez Musharraf that after taking some rest he will start social work in all the four provinces of Pakistan. Through the social work he will provide humanitarian services to the people of Pakistan. He is a international personality and have very good contacts in all over the world. Like Imran Khan's Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital I urge Pervez Musharraf to serve Pakistan through massive health and educational projects. And I also urge the nation that please think positively and engage our leaders in social reforms. These social reforms will bring POSITIVE CHANGE in Pakistan. Our youth is one of the talented youth of this world. We should start massive social reforms in Pakistan with tolerance, patience and trust.

If today our all political parties will sit together (with no personal agendas) with the mission to develop this beautiful Pakistan and they will engage the common man I am confident that after 40 to 50 years Pakistan will become the Asian Tiger.

And all of us know that the next century will be the Asian Century.

Muhammad Azfar Ahsan
President, Regional Centre for Research and DIALOGUE
President, Asian Leadership Society
Assistant Governor, Rotary International District 3270
President, JCI Business Network
Posted By: nawawimohamad @ 08/21/2008 11:04:15 PM

Comment: ('Musharraf's resignation puts pressure on a weak coalition"). This is what the US wanted all the while. Musharraf has reached his expiry date as stamped by the US. The power vacuum will inevitably be fiiled in by Kalyani the CIA groomed general. Asif Zardari is no politician; he is a playboy. There is no public figure in Pakistan today who has the characteristics, qualification and the support of the parties and Pakistanis to succeed Musharraf. The worst that can happen is the US military come marching in! Thus the US will be able to take on both Russia and China. Please also note that the US is engulfing Russia in particular by installing the missiles in Poland, having its military in Georgia, preparing NATO to face Russia, and the US is longing to take over Pakistan (because the US is pre-occupied in Afghanistan). Taking over Pakistan means that this will open another front for its fight aqainst the al-Qaeda and Taliban and hopefully will manage to defeat them for good. The US is preparing for WWIII. Mr. Fasih Ahmed and Mr. Ron Moreau, what are your comments on my view? You can prevent the US from anhilating the world!
Posted By: lovejusticepeace @ 08/21/2008 12:43:17 PM

Comment: Musharraf is the culprit supported by USA.
He is responsible for
1.Planning and launching the Kargil war.
2.Throwing out a democratically elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
3.Supporting nuclear proliferation and shielded nuclear rogue A.Q.Khan.
4.Abrogating the constitution of Pakistan.
5.Illegally dimissing the Chief Justice of Pakistan Chaudhry and other lawyers.
6.Downgrading of security and conniving to assisinate Benazir Bhutto.
Is USA also culpaple ?
Posted By: aboutmedicine @ 08/21/2008 1:51:57 AM

Comment: Massage head. http://traditional-medicine-traditional.blogspot.com/2008/08/massage-head.html
Posted By: newdee @ 08/20/2008 1:55:01 PM

Comment:
Musharraf leaves a mixed legacy behind. But let us be fair, despite our personal feelings, he was no Idi Amin. He was just too gentle for that type of behavior.

He took Pakistan to the world of free media. The economy was booming. Foreign investments were flowing into Pakistan.

Where he failed most miserably, was vis a vis the Taliban. Within Pakistan, on his watch, they became incredibly powerful. From killing tribal elders in triabal areas to proceeded to settled areas, and now they are choking Pakistan's 4th largest city Peshawar. How did Musharraf allow this to happen?

Now post Musharraf, the free world must make certain that Pakistani territory is not used for any type of terror at all. Just yesterday 10 innocent French troops were killed by the Taliban.

The world has to give Pakistan the option of either getting rid of Taliban or Alqaeda themselves, or allowing the NATO to do it. No more of this double games.
Posted By: Commentor @ 08/19/2008 3:00:39 PM

Comment: It is easy to blame all misfortunes of Pakistan and perils of Taliban, AlQaida and other groups of Jihadists to world on Ex President Musharraf. One who has not lived in Pakistan hardly knows the kind of people and their governance in Pakistan. One Priminister (Zulfiqar Bhutto) and this President realized sooner or later that this country is almost ungovernable due to multifaceted and growing problems topping factionalism, tribalism, ignorance and extreme religiosity and zeal culminating into hatred of others beyond their own perception. Musharraf attempted to address these problems though failed due to ineffective teamwork and homework and rigidity and opposition from all and sundry. It is a mistake and almost a sin to compare Musharraf to scoundrels of like Edi Amin as Restos Nikos has commented. He belongs to a normal respected educated family and talks with knowledge and no counts of corruption can be brought against him. The only error he committed is that he gave too much freedom to Media and Press that is a product out of semi or half literate masses with nationalist feelings, zeal and fervour not to work with US to root out Taliban. The majority is simple uneducated naive perople easily influenced by propaganda and dictates of mullas and moulvis. No wonder Musharraf became villain in their eyes as he became synonymous with US policies. Others outside Pakistan without much research work succumed to their propaganda.
- Posted By: ombrahma @ 08/19/2008 5:14:06 PM
  
  Comment: Freedom to media was not his problem. That is his major accomplishment. It is better to wage the war of words in media than do what Islam tells you to do: Kill if someone disagrees. The freedom of press is the best way to let people join in the process of discussion of the society's issues. The fundamental mistake was made by the british who helped in creation of sectarian state. Interpretation of religion will never satisfy all, never. Musharaff may have been clean, but he outlived his usefulness. The problem with dictators is they never know when to quit. He should be credited for keeping ISI and military under control. His fault : he did not put them under civilian control.
  - Posted By: Commentor @ 08/21/2008 2:55:26 PM
    
    Comment: It has been noted, particularly in underdeveloped countries, that an unbridled freedom to media can be counterproductive if media is higly biased, infested with vested interests, yellow journalists and/or working under some hidden agenda of opposition parties. That has proved in Pakistan when media attacked Musharraf virulently and his government failed to effectively deal with it and thus masses carried away by the propaganda.
    
    No version of Islam as I know teaches to kill if someone disagrees, It is not allowed in Islam to kill even stray dogs or cats what to talk of precious human lives. Killing of innocents and opponents is the halmark of Al-Qaida, Taliban, and similar brainwashed and perverted groups using banner of Islam. We are seeing how dangerous this world has become when all criminal and barbaric acts like murders of innocent are commited religiously under the notion that God allows and sactions such acts.
Posted By: GuyBlaise @ 08/18/2008 5:07:52 PM

Comment: Democracy is not a magic word to solve the problems of the people of Pakistan or any country in the world. President Musharraf was certainly not perfect. Now that he is gone, nobody knows who will be the next President of Pakistan. Will he be better or worse than Musharraf? Sometimes, as the ARI people of Ethiopia say, "It's better to have a dinner with the devil that you know, than to have a dinner with the angel that you don't know." http://guyblaise.com/
Posted By: Retsos Nikos @ 08/18/2008 3:03:29 PM

Comment: Musharraf will probably end up in Saudi Arabia, host to many other scoundrels like him - including the former Ugandan dictator and butcher Idi Amin. And from there he will continue to serve the U.S. as an
intelligence operative by keeping in contact with his friends in the military, and then passing to the U.S.
the names of military officers or politicians with inclination to settle with the Taliban through negotiations.
The U.S., then, will try to either isolate or eliminate those who it feels sabotage its policy to kill all Taliban.
That U.S. policy was made clear after the Pakistani elections, and the immediate announcement by the
newly elected parties to find some kind of common understanding with the Taliban. The U.S. Undersecretary of State, John Negrponte, immediately went to Pakistan and told the new elected leaders
straight on their face: "You cannot negotiate with those people [the Taliban]". His implied message: The U.S. won't accept any other solution than killing them. But that kind of arrogance, which was an affront to the Pakistani electorate that has voted to stop the killing practices of Pervez Musharraf, sealed Musharraf's fate.

Nawaz Sharif, the former Pakistani prime minister told the U.S. after the elections: "We want to work with you on the problem of terrorism, but we want you to stop bombing our villages." Hamid Karzai has also complained repeatedly about the U.S. bombing on civilians, and on August 10, 2008, he repeated: "Airstrikes that kill civilians is not the way to wage the fight against terrorism."

Musharraf's ouster presents an opportunity to the U.S. to see that its policy alienate more and more the
people of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and that a more civilized and cooperative approach is needed.
The U.S. does not have any credibility when it accuses Russia of "bullying, intimidation, and using excessive force" against a smaller country, Georgia. We have been doing that for 7 years in Afghanistan and Pakistan by using our puppets to legitimize it as a fight against terrorism. Musharraf is out, and Karzai keeps begging for a rational U.S. policy that put above all respect for the lives of innocent civilians . Up to now, civilian deaths have been only an afterthought of civilian bodies count, and a dry and short announcement by the military -such as: "We are investigating!" The Pakistanis and Afghans have seen
the bodies and have heard the "investigating" announcements expecting the killing to stop. Musharraf didn't listen. Is anybody in the U.S. government listening? Nikos Retsos, retired academic.
Posted By: pinkpanther87413 @ 08/18/2008 2:14:21 PM

Comment: What's left, is a nuclear country with no Pro-American leader, running the show!